Sample and bleed valve

ABSTRACT

The bleed valve of the present invention has a fixed body member for installation through the wall of the particular pressure vessel involved so as to be in direct communication with the cavity. The main valve portion moves axially from the closed to the open position for bleeding or sampling and is restrained from going beyond the full open position. The slidable portion is sealed against leakage of fluid pressure by an O-ring which has its own housing in the slidable portion and so remains in position at all times. It is always positioned beyond the fully open position so that no pressure or sample escapes beyond the intended outlet. The valve is useful for bleeding air or fluid under pressure in a pressure vessel, pump, or valve, particularly as a means for checking seals, sampling the contents, or reducing internal pressures.

United States Patent 2,045,758 6/1936 Crossen, Jr.

[72] Inventor Sydney E. Carlton 240 W. Hereford St., Gladstone, Oreg.97027 [21] Appl. No. 836,926 [22] Filed June 26, 1969 [45] Patented May11, 1971 [54] SAMPLE AND BLEED VALVE 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

7 [52] US. Cl 251/218, 251/144,'25l/325, 251/351 [51) Int. Cl F16k 31/50[50] Field of Search 251/44, 214, 215, 218, 274, 286, 287, 325, 347,351, 353, 346; 222/519, 548, 549, 553; 137/321, 322, 323

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,220 11/1921 Lord251/287X 1,606,912 11/1926 Youngmm... 251/144X 251/144X 2,841,314 7/1958Munsonetal. 3,164,308 1/1965 Marcovitchetal.

ABSTRACT: The bleed valve of the present invention has a fixed bodymember for installation through the wall of the particular pressurevessel involved so as to be in direct communication with the cavity. Themain valve portion moves axially from the closed to the open positionfor bleeding or sampling and is restrained from going beyond the fullopen position. The slidable portion is sealed against leakage of fluidpressure by an O-ring which has its own housing in the slidable portionand soremains in position at all times. It is always positioned beyondthe fully open position so that no pressure or sample escapes beyond theintended outlet. The valve is useful for bleeding air or fluid underpressure in a pressure vessel, pump, or valve, particularly as a meansfor checking seals, sampling the contents, or reducing internalpressures.

'Paten ted, May11,1971 3,578,285

INVENTOR.

SIDNEY '15. mum/v ATTOKNEY 1 SAMPLE AND BLEED VALVE K Most sampling ofcontents within the pressure vessel is done simply by means of removinga plug which had been driven into an aperture leading to the interior ofthe vessel. The plug must therefore be knocked out of or pulled from theclosed position in order to make the sampling or relieve the pressure,and frequently the plug is blown out, damaged or'lost. When there isdamage to the plug, the seal will not be satisfactory when the plug isrepositioned. The valve of the present invention is designed toeliminate this crudeness in bleeding .and sampling of pressure vesselsand permits the sampling or bleeding to take place in a predictablemanner at a convenient position and direction. This valve eliminates allhazards in sampling or bleeding of a pressure vessel. It furtherprovides a controlledon and off position and provides an outlet which isdirected safely and surely, as desired. The position of the O- ring sealbetween the body and the axially moveable member -is an importantfeature in that it provides a groove for the O- ring which is positionedaxially external of the outlet opening in the open position, so that atno time will there be any leaks,

unless specifically intended by the open position.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity,economy, and ease of manufacture, also such further objects, advantagesand capabilities as will fully appear and as are'inherently possessed bythe device and the invention described herein.

lnvention further resides in the combination, construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and whilethere is shown therein a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to beunderstood that the same is merely illustrative of the invention andthat the invention is capable of modification and change, andcomprehends other details of ,groove 24 and remains at all times insliding and sealing conconstruction without departing from the spiritthereof or'the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 of the drawings is a longitudinal section showing the bleed andsample valve of the present invention in the closed position;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the axially moveable member;

P16. 3 is a longitudinal section of the main body member;

FlG. 4 is a plan view of the head of the body member; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the valve in the openposition.

I which is driven into position and secured by welding or any othersuitable means. This body member has an axial bore therethrough and isinternally threaded, the purpose of which will be apparent as thisdescription proceeds. it is counterbored on a larger diameter at 16 fora considerable distance of its total length. The larger diameter leavesa shoulder 18 at the internal beginning of the threaded portion 15. Atright angles to the counterbore 16 is an outlet opening 17, passincompletely through the wall of the solid portion 12.

' The axially moveable member best shown in FIG. 2 and generallydesignated 20, is an elongated valve for axial movement within'the body11. It has a hexagonal head 21 and an axially extending cylindricalportion 22 terminating in a shoulder 23. The head portion is so shapedto accommodate a wrench for turning, but here again, any suitableconfiguration tact with the inner face 16 of the body member 11.

It should be pointed out that the relationship and engagement ofinternal threads 15 of the body member and external threads 30 of theaxially moveable member may be a sliding fit or a keyed fit, and do notnecessarily have to be threaded to provide the axial movement. Also alarge spiral acme thread .for fast axial movement may be used withsuccess. The axially moveable portion is providedwith a collar 33threaded to the inner end 26 thereof, as will be more fully described.

In use, the body portion 11 is suitably secured through the wall of apressure vessel such as by the threads 14, by welding, or in any othersuitable manner. lt thus remains in fixed position through the wall ofthe pressure vessel. The axially moveable member 20, with the O-ring 31in position as described above, is then positioned for axial movementwithin the body member 11. The threaded portion 30 obviously extendsinto the interior of the pressure, vessel so that when this is inposition,'there is communication from the interior through the bore 27,the connecting passage 28 and to the axial groove 25. In the closedposition, shown in FIG. 1, the pressure or fluid contents of the vesselcan not escape and is sealed by the O- ring 31 in its channel 24. Whenthe member 20 is in the closed position in the vessel, the collar 33 issecured to the end 26 in the interior of the vessel leaving enough spacebetween the inner end face 24 of the body member 11 and the outer faceof the collar 33 to provide axial movement to the open position shown inH0. 5. Here it will be observed that the collar 33 provides a stopagainst further axially outward movement when the outlet passage 28registers with the passage 17 of the body member. This occurs when theface 34 of the body member abuts the face 35 of collar 33. Upondetermination of the fully open position, the collar 33 is secured inposition by any suitable means. ln the closed position, the shoulder 14of the body member 11 abuts the shoulder 18 of the axially moveablemember 20.

Assuming the closed position shown in FIG. 1 with the valve cause theaxially moveable portion 20 to move axially outward away from theexterior wall of the vessel. Normally, where the threaded engagement isused, the head 21 is rotated by means of a common wrench. However, if asliding fit is used, it may be operated by a lever air cylinder or othermechanical means of pulling the member outwardly to the open position,and vice versa. The O-ring 31 in its own housing 24, is maintained in asliding and sealing engagement with the inner face 16 of the fixed bodymember 11. In moving the valve to the open position, the O-ring 31passes over the outlet passage 17 so that when the communicating channel25 in any way registers with the outlet passage 17, the O-ring isaxially outward in position with respect to the outlet opening 17. ltwill be observed that the sampling or bleeding from the interior of thevessel can be in any degree from just barely open to the fully openposition shown in FIG. 5. Thus, the amount of bleed of sample can beregulated in accordance with the desires of the particular operation.The outward axial movement is stopped by the abutment of the collar face35 against the inner body face 34 which ensures that the axiallymoveable member can not be turned beyond the fully open position. Thevalve is closed by reversing the turn moment. In the fully closedposimay be used. The cylindrical portion 22 is cut with an annulargroove 24 which is the O-ring groove and a peripheral annular channel25. From its inner end 26, there. is an axial bore 27 which extendsinwards axially to a point corresponding with the annular channel 25.Between the channel 25 and the bore 27, is a communicating passage 28.From the shoulder 23 to tion, shown in H6. 1, the O-ri'ng 31 is axiallywell within the body member 11 and this point is determined by abutmentof the shoulder 23 against the shoulder 18 of the body member 1 1.

lt is, of course, desirable to place the valve through the wall of thepressure vessel at a point to which there is easy and convenient access.It is equally desirable to place the outlet 17 of the assembly in adirection which will be'best suited for the purposes involved. in anyevent, the operator knows at all times the amount and the direction ofthe flow forthe bleed or sample because of the position of the outlet17.

lclaim:

l. A-bleed valve having an elongated member movable axially within afixed body member, a fixed body member adapted to be secured through thewall of a vessel having an outlet port externally of the vessel, saidelongated member having an axial passage partly therethrough openinginto the interior of a vessel at its inner end and connecting with anexit passage therein at its outer end, said exit passage being angularlydisposed with respect to said axial passage and adapted to register withthe outlet port of said fixed body member in the open position, and afluidtight seal outwardly of said exit passage continuously sealingagainst the inner surface of said

1. A bleed valve having an elongated member movable axially within afixed body member, a fixed body member adapted to be secured through thewall of a vessel having an outlet port externally of the vessel, saidelongated member having an axial passage partly therethrough openinginto the interior of a vessel at its inner end and connecting with anexit passage therein at its outer end, said exit passage being angularlydisposed with respect to said axial passage and adapted to register withthe outlet port of said fixed body member in the open position, and afluidtight seal outwardly of said exit passage continuously sealingagainst the inner surface of said fixed body member.
 2. The bleed valveof claim 1 wherein the elongated member is formed to employ a tool foraxial movement from the closed to the open position and vice versa. 3.The bleed valve of claim 1 wherein the elongated member has a stop onits inner end to prevent axial withdrawal through the fixed member. 4.The bleed valve of claim 1 wherein the fixed member threadably receivesthe elongated member for rotary axial movement.